ANTHROPOMETRIC EQUATIONS FOR ESTIMATING ABDOMINAL ADIPOSE-TISSUE DISTRIBUTION IN WOMEN

OBJECTIVES: (1) to develop multiple regression equations for predictin g computed tomography (CT) derived intra-abdominal (IAF), subcutaneous (SCF) and total (TOTF = IAF + SCF) abdominal adipose tissue areas fro m anthropometric measures and (2) to validate the equations. DESIGN: C ross-sectional study. SUBJECTS: 204 healthy Caucasian females subjects with a large range of age (17-76 years) and percentage body fat (8.8% -48.1%). Fifty-one subjects served as an independent sub-sample for th e validation of the equations. MEASUREMENTS: Various fatness and fat d istribution parameters (hydrodensitometry, single CT scan, skinfold an d circumference measures). RESULTS: Multiple regression equations were developed to estimate IAF, SCF and TOTF. R(2) for IAF, SCF and TOTF w as 0.75, 0.81 and 0.85, respectively. The equations were validated on an independent sub-sample of 51 subjects, All three equations met vali dation criteria with R(2) validations of 0.79, 0.71 and 0.84 for IAF, SCF and TOTF, respectively. CONCLUSION: These equations might be used as an inexpensive estimation of IAF, SCF and TOTF in adult Caucasian f emales varying greatly in age and percentage body fat.